Never Give Up
by OptimisticArmageddon
Summary: Post Omnic Crisis and Petras Act. Lena Oxton is on her own in the first time in her life. Will she be able to save herself and Overwatch? Or will they fall to Talon or internal chaos? Comfort and hurt, allies and enemies, loyalty and betrayal. Classic dichotomies are blurred, and Lena finds herself more lost than ever. Eventual Widowtracer. Rating may change; please read & review!
1. A Rough Beginning

**A/N: (Author's Note:) Blizzard reserves all rights to Overwatch. Don't sue me; I have no money to begin with lol.**

 **This is my first Fanfiction. Enjoy.**

* * *

Alone.

I had salvaged whatever flammable scraps I could find from my poor crash-landed jet. Huddling for warmth beside a makeshift campfire, I regained my bearings and checked my own vitals.

Chronal accelerator? Dented here and there but intact. Broken bones? None, fortunately. Injuries? A few scratches. One long but shallow gash on my right arm. Failing to find bandages of any sort, I ripped a strip of cloth from my body suit. I clenched my teeth as I rubbed fresh snow over the wound, then held the cloth on it.

I pondered my next move. Stranded in a frozen wasteland with two days' worth of rations... a great situation! Oh who am I kidding… Couldn't trick a British preschooler with that.

I found my radio flung far to the side of the aircraft. I avoided the billowing smoke disseminating from the jet and plucked the radio out of the snow.

 _Click._ "Lena Oxton here. Please reply if received. Over." _Click._

I tried several times, to no avail.

 _Sigh._ "What did I expect anyway?"

I leaned on my back, briefly considering the events that transpired moments before my brutal crash-landing.

* * *

"One last debriefing boys." _And girl_ , I thought.

"Wid'ermaker is a mercenary on the loose. She's a trained assassin, a skilled pilot, and an extremely dangerous martial artist. The latest reports say she recently m'erdered an entrepreneur in Vancouver. Just like last time, she'll have an escorting jet to take her away from the scene immediately. Our job is to get there as soon as possible. If we see Wid'ermaker's jet, we take 'er down. Avoid civilian casualties. Got it?"

Thirteen replies were mumbled into a collective "Yessir."

The fourteenth was busy thinking. _Don't worry luv, the cavalry's here!_

* * *

We finally caught up with Widowmaker's jet far north of the city. She was alone, and our environment was devoid of people. Perfect.

Out of nowhere, we were flanked from both sides.

"Fighter B5 down! Retreat! I repeat, retreat!"

Explosions and radio messages alike blared into my ears. I reared my jet to the right, hoping to avoid the carnage of the dogfight. Outnumbered and outplayed, we were losing men at an alarming rate.

It was as if a large invisible being was controlling all of the enemy jets in an extremely organized fashion. Half of the jets to the left, half to the right. They alternated their attacks and avoided friendly fire.

Almost like… Reaper's double handguns. No. Impossible! Talon had been exterminated years ago!

Yet it all made sense. Gabriel Reyes, Amélie Lacroix. Both presumed dead, years and years ago.

I was wretched away from my thoughts by an explosion. I looked up, straight at the piercing glare and smirk of Widowmaker. I had foolishly let myself come into direct fire.

Her sniper rifle didn't even make a sound. One of my engines burst into flames.

 _Click._ "A1. My right engine is down! Need assistance!"

No one replied. I panicked.

A flash, a bang.

* * *

I don't remember what happened next. Instinct and years of piloting experience must have kicked in, allowing me to crash-land a good distance away from where the battle occurred.

 _Sigh._ I should get there and see what I can salvage.

Time to get moving.


	2. A Last Resort

I stomped out my campfire, then buried its remains with snow. By removing all traces of my survival, I hoped that whoever chanced upon the wreckage of my jet would presume that I had died.

I retrieved a backup pistol and emergency supplies from my damaged jet's side compartment, which was designed to withstand heavy abuse. I took one last glance at my ruined jet and the frozen environment.

I began jogging to stay warm. Onwards, towards the heavy smoke far off in the distance.

* * *

I approached the site with extreme caution. I grasped my pistol with both hands and was ready to blink back in time if needed.

Debris was scattered over the fresh snow. Whiteness was discolored with black spots of oil and the occasional red stain. Smoke billowed freely from at least four separate fighter jets, and there seemed to be no signs of life.

The wind chilled me to the bone. I tentatively entered the area, boosting ahead around places I could get ambushed. I spotted a body near the next jet I approached. It was clear that he ejected from his plane, but far too late to properly deploy his parachute.

"Commander Anderson! Oh no…" One of his eyes had been brutally blinded; the other was still open, preserved in an expression of shock. I checked his vitals, then slowly closed his eyelid with my thumb. "Rest in peace, luv."

I hated to do it, but I checked his body. A small Swiss Army knife, a couple of (thankfully) waterproof matches, and a family photo. I nearly cried out when I saw the image: a serene scene of the commander in casual clothes, with one firm arm around each of his two children. There was no maternal figure in the picture, and I automatically assumed the worst.

The little boy and girl were now orphans.

* * *

For the next hour, I wandered around the scene like a crime investigator, though I took what seemed remotely helpful or useful rather than trying to photograph and preserve it. I had found a backpack as well, allowing me to carry more stuff and get organized a bit. Friendly and enemy jet alike, I pillaged them all.

Finally, I found a radio in the corpse of a fallen soldier. I realized he was not just any soldier, but a Talon agent. "Aw bollocks. How fortunate and unfortunate."

I weighed my decisions. There were only two, really. I considered possible alternatives and scenarios. Eventually, pride got the better of me.

* * *

Maybe it had been a bad idea. It had been three days since I found the radio, but I haven't touched it since. During the days, I set up some makeshift traps, but my attempts to hunt were to no avail. During the nights, I had camped out in the most preserved jet I could find (and it still wasn't much).

Undeniably, my supplies were quickly diminishing and my time was running out. The longer I waited, the more likely people thought I was dead and the less likely I was to be rescued. I was dozens of miles away from the nearest human residence, and I was running out of options. In fact, I probably couldn't last another day in this cold weather. Deep down, I knew that it wasn't because I had poor survival skills, but because it was _so boring_ being alone.

With one last breath, I turned on the radio.

 _Click._

"Lena Oxton here. Requesting assistance. Over."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! It would be awesome if you could leave a review.**

 **Also, I know that the chapters are short, but I want to update daily. Thankfully it's summertime, so I'll (hopefully) have a lot of time to write.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! (^.^)**


	3. A Turbulent Encounter

_Click_.

A minute passed. Then two.

My mind started wandering. What did I usually do when I was bored? There wasn't anyone around to chat with, nor were there any training facilities for me to kill time in.

I tried meditating, a technique Zenyatta taught me when I was still with Overwatch. I recalled his words of wisdom, "Free your mind. Experience tranquility, and be one with the Universe. Listen, to the harmonious music of nature." I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths, but I failed to calm myself.

 _Sigh._

I stood up and started pacing back and forth. The occasional boost mimicked shifts in my thoughts. To be honest… I missed Overwatch. Zenyatta, and his calm and graceful movements when we were sent on peacekeeping missions. Mercy, and her soft and gentle care when I was injured. Winston, and his constant and restless tinkering when everyone else was asleep.

Even Gabriel Reyes, and his incessant bickering with Jack Morrison. (They were cute, but I would never dare to tell them that.)

They also destroyed Overwatch. I massaged my temples, recalling the events that led up to our disbanding. I was like a bystander, watching those who were once friends tear each other apart. People like Jesse McCree took the smart route: going underground into hiding. The Petras Act landed like a judge's gavel, deciding our fates in an instant with resounding confirmation.

The survivors scattered around the world, becoming mercenaries and vigilantes. I stayed with Winston, as he was the only one who could fix my chronal accelerator if it ever malfunctioned, not to mention one of the only true friends I had left. The two of us looked out for each other. We became odds-and-ends people. No company wanted to have anything to do with former Overwatch members; the only place I could find a decent job at something I was good at (piloting of course) was the American Air Force.

I chuckled. Our latest mission seemed easy enough. Yet, we had failed. _I had failed_.

* * *

I saw the sleek, black form in the distance long before I heard the whir of its engines. I tried to put on a smile, but I couldn't muster the strength to do so. Frankly, my recent struggles had taken quite a toll on my morale.

I just wasn't the Tracer I used to be.

Gathering my remaining supplies and making sure my only pistol was well concealed, I faced the approaching jet. I put up my hands to show that I was unarmed.

I noticed that the distinctive logo of Talon was sprayed onto the side of the plane. As the jet descended, waves of cool air rushed in my face, ruffling my hair.

The hatch opened and a ladder dropped. I quickly began climbing.

Whoever was piloting the plane wasted no time; the jet was moving before I even got a third of the way up. "Great," I mumbled. Not only was the ladder swaying like crazy, but we were also flying against the wind, making it nearly impossible to climb.

Eventually, though, I made it. Collapsing on the metal floor of the jet, I tried to regain my bearings. Surprisingly, there was no one in the jet's cabin. The walls were lined with compartments filled with supplies and equipment; I tried to open one, but it was locked.

A wave of turbulence reminded me that I was airborne. Tossing my backpack on an adjacent seat, I hurriedly sat down and strapped on my seat belt.

Silence.

I tried to peek into the cockpit, but my angle only allowed me to see an empty co-pilot seat.

Talon _hates_ omnics, and this weather was too difficult for an unmanned drone to navigate, so… who was flying the plane?

"Who's driving this thing?" I called out.

A pause. Then came the reply, "C'est moi. Widowmaker."

For a moment, I was stunned. Then I called out, "Your piloting skills are like drinking straws. They suck!" I couldn't see her, but I could almost _hear_ her smirk.

"Says the foolish girl who got shot down and stranded herself."

I turned beet red, determined to keep my mouth shut for the rest of the trip. It was going to be a long ride.

* * *

 **A/N: T** **hanks for reading; hope you like the story so far! If you could leave a review telling me what you're enjoying / not enjoying, it would be great!** **Also, special thanks to MorphZz for being the first to review :D**

Translations

C'est moi: it is me


	4. A Rude Awakening

**A/N: The chapters are getting longer! :D**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

 _Winston pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose and tossed his umpteenth banana peel into the ever-growing pile next to his workstation. Perspiration glistened on his forehead. An occasional bead of sweat trickled down the visible side of his face._

 _The least I could do was lie still while Winston tinkered with my chronal accelerator. The hard concrete surface of the "bed" I was on dug into my back, especially at the shoulder blades where my chronal accelerator wrapped around._

 _An eternity seemed to pass. All I perceived was Winston's concentrated face, the constant noises that my accelerator was making, and the hard, cold concrete I was on._

 _Just when I was dozing off, Winston chuckled and remarked, "There you go. Good as new."_

" _Thank you, Winston."_

" _Don't mention it. Now next time be more careful, okay?"_

" _Yes, luv."_

 _His deep voice boomed with a hearty laugh. "You're far too reckless, you know that Lena? One of these days you're going to get yourself killed."_

 _I playfully punched him on the shoulder. Luckily he wasn't wearing his body armor. "Hey! I try my best, okay? At least I have time on my side."_

" _Alright alright." After a lengthy pause, Winston's face grew serious. "You know, I'm really not sure how long the world can last. Terrorists and extremists run rampant, even in the biggest cities. Mercenaries and questionable vigilantes roam dark alleyways everywhere."_

" _You're quite right, Winston. The world could always use more heroes."_

" _The world_ needs _more heroes, Lena. I feel like we should do something, but I'm just not sure what…"_

" _Oh, don't worry about it, big guy," I replied, patting him on the shoulder. "You're doing so much already."_

 _Truth be told, I never really understood the advanced equations he was always writing on his whiteboard, nor the complicated devices he was always augmenting. But there was one thing I did understand: he was diligent, and always busy._

 _Winston sighed. He took off his glasses and wiped his sweaty face with his palm. "Maybe, but I always feel like I have the potential to do more. I just don't want to later regret not doing something while I had the opportunity to."_

" _I understand, luv. Well, don't stress yourself out, okay?"_

" _Alright, Lena." I smiled._

" _Wake up."_

" _What?"_

* * *

"Wake up, Tracer. _Merde_! Wake up!"

I groaned and opened my eyes, only to see an agitated Widowmaker poking her sniper rifle at my chest. I cried out, "Bloody hell, what are you doing?!"

Unflinching, she backed off, straightened herself, and replied, "I've been trying to wake you for the past fifteen minutes. You're hopeless."

"And _you_ are so antisocial, you don't even want to touch me! Why would you ever use a _rifle_ to wake someone up?"

Smirking, she replied, "Hang on a second, chérie." She leaned closer until I could literally feel her cool breath on my face, though my face seemed to be getting warmer, not colder. "You want me to _touch you_?"

My face flushed. I was flabbergasted. "Yes! I mean no! I mean, yeah, where I live people usually shake someone who's asleep to wake her up, not poke her with a rifle!"

Widowmaker chuckled. "Alright, chérie. Anyway, we're almost here." She took the seat across from me. Smirking some more, she cooed, "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I put the plane in autopilot mode."

I could barely contain my rage. _I'm not going to let this serpent of a woman get the better of me from now on,_ I thought to myself. I looked at anything other than the female in front of me and didn't say another word. Instinctively, I knew she would be watching me and smirking the whole time.

* * *

We landed at Talon headquarters. Or maybe it was just one of their outposts. Either way, the black fortress loomed before me. Unsurprisingly, there weren't any windows.

As we approached, I shivered. I could almost _taste_ the evilness disseminating from the complex. A single set of automatic doors let the way to the base's interior. I followed Widowmaker closely, trying not to get left behind.

The inside was just as bland as the outside. The lobby was devoid of decorations, except for a single banner with the Talon logo in the middle of the hall. _Talon certainly skimped out on the interior décor budget,_ I thought, smirking.

Widowmaker led me to a small cell on the second floor, beckoning me to go inside. I tried to read her face, but she remained expressionless. Giving up, I slowly shuffled my feet inside the cramped room.

"Stay here. I have to report to Talon, and I'll be back to let you know how they decide to dispose of you. I'll be happy if I can be the one to execute you after we're done testing on you."

I rolled my eyes. "Well bloody hell, aren't you the cunning optimist."

Without another word, she locked me in and briskly walked away. _Sigh_. I slumped on the only elevated platform in the room.

 _A stone-cold, hard concrete bed,_ I thought. _Déjà vu._

I slowly closed my eyes, awaiting my fate. _Aies pitié, dear spider_.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading; hope you enjoyed. Is no one jealous of MorphZz being the only reviewer? XD**

 **Just kidding. I would love some more reviews though. Until next time!**

Translations

Merde: an interjection similar to "sh*t!"

Chérie: sweetheart, dear

Aies pitié: have mercy

P.S. Please let me know if my French parts are inaccurate. Google Translator isn't exactly the most reliable cross-reference I could use XD


	5. A Close Call

**A/N: Yay long chapter! Enjoy :)**

 **The first half of this chapter is** _ **slightly**_ **dark, so please bear with me. As with any story, there will be ups and downs. Later chapters will be on a lighter tone, I promise! :D**

* * *

I awoke to the sound of hushed voices. I looked through my cell door; Widowmaker and Reaper were exchanging words as they walked towards me. I tried to make out what they were saying, but the door was too thick to hear them properly.

I stopped peeking at them and sat down on the bed. The door was unlocked, and a cool wave of air rushed into the room. Reaper entered alone, closing the door behind him.

He was wearing his usual attire, a black trench coat and a white-gray mask that hid his face. He folded his arms behind his back and walked to stand in front of me. "Good afternoon Tracer," he greeted. "You're now in the most protected Talon outpost in existence. Our security is just as tight inside as it is outside. There's no blinking your way out of this one." He laughed at his own joke.

"I figured as much," I replied, unamused. _Probably should save the insults and jokes for later._

"Keeping you in good shape is of utmost priority. You will report to me every day for training, starting from tomorrow." I nodded my understanding. _Perhaps I could catch him off-guard during training and use it to my advantage,_ I thought.

"You _will_ maintain your upkeep here," he continued. "Your first mission for Talon will be in two days." He pulled out one of his shotguns and pretended to examine it. "And, as for living arrangements… You will be rooming with our only female agent."

I didn't have time to interpret his final sentence before he shot me.

* * *

 _Darkness._

 _Thick, black smoke enveloped my body. No matter how much I tried swatting the smoke away, it just kept coming back._

" _Help! Winston, Mercy, anyone!" I cried. No response._

 _I tried boosting away, but the smoke sucked me back in like a gravity well. My head started spinning, and I began hallucinating._ So this is what drowning feels like, _I thought._

 _Choking and gagging, I awaited death._

* * *

I woke up in a cold sweat, still gasping for air. The area around my eyes seemed to be caked with dried tears.

I found myself lying on a soft bed. I tried moving, but my limbs were bound by restraints. I could hear machinery beeping and doctors exchanging words, but I couldn't see what was going on around me; my head was held fixed on the bed.

"Damn it! She woke up!"

An annoyed voice replied, "I told you we didn't use enough sedative."

"I thought Reaper's tranquilizer dart would do the job!" _So that's what he shot me with. That son of a bitch._

A third voice hissed, "Dude, quit whining. Grab the needle over there and fill it with sedative. We have to finish this job."

Unable to control myself, I burst out, "Wait! What are you guys doing?"

Silence.

Just when I was beginning to think that they didn't hear me, one of them replied in a low voice, "We're testing on you. Our boss wants us to research your chronal accelerator and hopefully replicate it one day."

"Dude, are you serious? Why would you ever tell her that?"

"I don't want to lose my job okay? Informing the patient of planned procedures is part of the universally-accepted Ethical Guidelines for Medical Research!"

" _What_?" came the reply of disbelief. "Did you just get here, son? We're working for Talon now, you dimwit! You think Talon cares about _ethics_?"

I decided I had heard enough. "Look, I don't care about your guidelines or jobs. The one thing you _cannot_ do is mess with my accelerator."

"Why?"

"It's the only thing keeping me anchored in time. If you take it off of me for too long, I would literally become a timeless being, a glitch in the universe of space-time."

One of them chuckled. "If you think Talon cares about you, you're sorely mistaken."

 _Saw that one coming. Alright, time to tell a few believable lies._ Laughing, I replied, "I wasn't finished, luv. My accelerator has extreme hidden potential. If it's removed from me, there's no telling what would happen. Winston once speculated that there could be a pulse bomb in there that would instantly detonate if the accelerator is ever removed.

"Also I know that I'm not that good at science, but I'm sure we all know what a black hole is. Well, just try to imagine the time version of that."

One of them gulped. Internally smiling, I continued, "Yes. It will literally tear the fabric of space and time itself. Life as we know it could end. Permanently."

One of them started whispering to the others, and I could only make out some of the words. "She's not… no joke. I don't know…willing to risk…If…to continue…don't…good luck." I heard him slip off his gloves and leave the room.

After some more mumbled conversations, the other two soon left as well. I breathed a sigh of relief; I survived another close call. Then I realized something.

 _Thanks for leaving me here bound to a bed. Bloody hell._

* * *

An eternity seemed to pass.

I heard the door open, then swing close. Someone walked in and blindfolded me. I felt the restraints on my head and limbs get released. The moment of respite was short-lived, however. I was handcuffed, then grabbed by the collar and lifted on my feet. I sighed, not even bothering to comment on the person's actions.

I felt a rush of blood in my body from the change in position. _Just how long was I laying down? Jeez._

The person behind me was jabbing me with a blunt object. Probably a police stick. A clearly masculine voice barked, "Get moving!"

"Alright, alright. Relax."

I was led a long way from the room where I was tested on. The occasional flight of stairs complemented my frequent turns. My footsteps were light on the smooth ground, making soft noises that resonated throughout the empty hallways.

Eventually, the agent leading me stopped and took off my blindfold. We had arrived at a small room. He knocked twice and folded his hands in front of him.

The door opened a crack. I made eye contact with a single amber iris, which could only belong to one person. The door closed, then swung completely open, revealing a drowsy Widowmaker. She was dressed in a translucent nightshirt that reached her knees. It hugged her curves and left little to the imagination.

 _She's shameless_ and _emotionless,_ I thought. _Great._

"It's 3 AM. She's done already?" Widowmaker asked. The agent nodded. "Merde. Well, I'm surprised she's still in one piece. Come in, chérie." After the agent unlocked my handcuffs, I obliged. She might have been slightly tired from just being awoken, but I knew she would never let her guard down. Not around anyone, and especially not around me.

I shut the door behind me and gazed around the room. There were no doors leading to potential closets or bathrooms. A single fluorescent light was attached to the ceiling, illuminating the room and leaving long shadows near the corners. The walls were plain, and there were twin beds on either side of the room. A single wardrobe sat between them, blocking the space where one would expect a window to be. _Oh right,_ I thought. _This entire place has no windows._

"A change of clothes are in the bottom drawer." She got back into her bed, wrapping her blankets around her slender form. "Oh, and don't even bother to try anything. If you so much as touch me when I'm sleeping, I will _personally_ kill you."

Rolling my eyes, I mimicked her voice and replied, "Yes, chérie."

Even though her sniper rifle was nowhere in sight, I figured she probably had at least five hidden weapons within her reach. Since we were _obviously_ on an even playing field, I of course didn't even have a single weapon. My backpack must have been confiscated, my concealed pistol as well. I had nothing.

 _Sigh_. I shuffled over to the drawer and retrieved a black jumpsuit and a matching sports bra. The jumpsuit was rather similar to my yellow one, which had been ripped and scratched in several places during my brutal crash-landing.

I took off my chronal accelerator. I unzipped my jumpsuit and slowly peeled it off. Changing clothes was always a risky activity for me, and I usually just avoided it as much as possible. I would always get a little scared that I would become lost in time if I took off my accelerator for too long.

I looked behind me. Widowmaker was facing me, though she seemed sound asleep. I turned my back to her and changed my sports bra.

"Why are you so shy, Tracer?" _Of course she wasn't asleep_ , I thought. Just when I was about to comment on how perverted she was, she continued, "Oh don't worry, chérie. I don't feel _anything_ , let alone lust."

I narrowed my eyes, disregarding her statement of reassurance. "Why are you so interested?" In spite of myself, I turned to face her while I put on my black jumpsuit then my accelerator. I saw her eyes trail over my body, yet she remained expressionless. I didn't feel shame, only contempt towards the woman who caused me so much suffering in the past few days.

She smirked. "I just haven't seen another woman up close in a long time. As long as I can remember, actually," came her response. "I'm genuinely curious."

"Well I'm sorry to let you know that I've already seen enough of you in the past two days than I ever wanted in a lifetime, luv." Honestly, she _disgusted_ me.

Widowmaker laughed. "Well too bad for you then. We're roommates now."

She seemed to have lost interest in me, making me wonder what she was up to earlier. _Maybe she was indeed just curious_ , I thought. _I certainly would be if I was turned into an antisocial killing machine._

Widowmaker turned around to face the wall, dragging the blanket over her shoulder. I slid into my own blankets and faced the opposite wall on my side.

"Bonne nuit, Tracer." She laughed.

"Good night," I huffed. _Tomorrow is a new day_ , I reassured myself.

I can't wait to get out of this hellhole.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading; hope you enjoyed. I would highly appreciate feedback on the pacing and progress of the Widowtracer relationship, as well as on the story in general.**

 **To keep things varied, next chapter I'll be focusing less on Widowtracer and more on plot and character development. Stay tuned :)**

 **Just a heads up: I'll be busy in the next few days, so I might not be able to update daily. Sorry! But I will definitely update at least once every two days, and daily during the weekend. I already have chapter six and seven partially typed, with the rest planned out and just waiting to be typed, so don't worry!**

 **Special shoutout to MorphZz, Ziri Senpai, Lacila, Potato Chibs, and (a not jealous) Blazing Soldier for reviewing! Your reviews really encourage me. Y'all are awesome! :D**

Translations

Merde: damn it

Chérie: sweetheart, dear

Bonne nuit: good night


	6. An Eventful Interaction

A loud banging on my door wrenched me out of my deep slumber. I groaned, my head still groggy from having so little sleep.

I heard Reaper's distinctive voice. "Get up! We have training to do."

I sat up and rubbed my face, then put on my goggles from the drawer where I placed them before I slept. Widowmaker's bed was empty and her blankets were neatly folded, I noticed. _Oh well. Looks like I don't have time to make my bed today._

"What time is it?" I called.

"10 A.M. You've overslept and missed breakfast," came the curt reply. "Hurry up."

In another moment, I was out the door and walking with Reaper to Talon's training facilities.

* * *

As I finished the rest of an energy drink I had retrieved earlier, we approached a large room separated into different sectors of equipment. There were a few Talon agents scattered around the room, running on treadmills and lifting weights. With a wave of Reaper's hand, they all cleared the room. The doors shut with a resounding boom.

He turned to me. "Since you're clearly more of a… glass cannon, we will be skipping the body building and cardio exercises. Let's focus on your specialty first, shall we?"

I slowly nodded. _What was he planning?_

He walked to the center of the room. "You are to run to the other side of the room. I'll be standing here the whole time." He pulled out both of his shotguns. "The areas to the side are off limits because they have equipment that grant the possibility of hiding. And there's no _hiding_ from me."

I sighed. _Bollocks, what a lunatic. Time to show him what I'm made of._ I started stretching my arms and legs to warm up. After a few jumps and checking my accelerator, I told him, "I'm ready. Let's go."

"Ready…"

He lifted both of his shotguns, aiming them directly at me.

"Set…"

I took a slight crouching position, preparing to take off.

"Go!"

I pretended to run to the left, then boosted to the right. Reaper seemed unfazed, however, and anticipated my move. I heard two successive blasts and instinctively boosted away. Adrenaline rushed through my body; it felt so good to get moving again. He continued to blast away at me, and I narrowly dodged his shots each time.

I knew that he was quickly becoming accustomed to my zigzagging. His shots were getting more and more accurate, and soon, they would land.

I was approaching the center of the room, where I would be the closest to Reaper. I desperately tried to think of a solution other than blinking backwards, but my mind seemed to fail me.

 _Click_. He was out of ammo! Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Reaper throw his empty guns on the floor. As he was pulling out a new pair from his coat, I took the opportunity and _ran._

Now that he was behind me, I tried to pull off a risky move. I boosted forward three times in quick succession, which consumed all charges on my accelerator. I dropped to the floor, reducing the surface area of my body and praying that I wouldn't get hit.

A solid two seconds passed. I heard sprays of bullets scatter around me, one of them coming within millimeters of grazing my left arm. I leaped up, boosting my way to the wall.

I smiled. _Safe._

 _Boom_. A surge of pain in my back nearly paralyzed me. "Great," I muttered, blinking back I time. I found myself back where I was lying down earlier. Boosting forward once more, I turned around to face Reaper and shouted, "Stop! I finished!"

He chuckled, lowering his guns. "You're rusty, Tracer. You might not be so lucky next time." He discarded his second pair of shotguns. I wondered if he had used up all the ammo in them, but I didn't ask him about it.

"Sure thing, Reaper," I replied, walking over to him. Pointing at the pile on the ground, I asked him, "Where'd you get all those shotguns though?"

Laughing, Reaper pulled open his trench coat: both sides were lined with shotguns from top to bottom. They were fastened with loose straps, and I even saw some other gadgets tucked among them.

"I have an adequate arsenal to last me a battle, Tracer. Pulling out a new pair of guns is much faster than reloading."

Slightly taken aback, I pressed further, "Wait, doesn't holding on to so many guns impede your ability to fight?"

"They are feather-light. They also act like a bullet vest," he responded. "Alright enough chitchat. Let's wrap up your training. I still have other more important matters to take care of."

He led me to a target shooting area. "Here are a pair of blasters." He opened a compartment in the wall and retrieved two guns. They looked exactly like my old blasters; even the color scheme was the same. I ran a hand over their sleek surfaces. They felt like my blasters in every way.

He continued, "Shoot as many targets as you can in one hour. They will continuously respawn. You'll find ammo in the red boxes.

"After you're done, leave the blasters here." He chuckled. "Unless you want to trigger the alarms near the door and get yourself killed. Return to your room and find Widowmaker. She'll take you to the cafeteria for lunch."

Without another word, he vanished in a pool of smoke.

Turning to face the targets, I remarked, "Alright. Let's do this."

I entered a state of extreme focus, blasting away at every target I saw. Soon, the stationary targets started moving around with increasing speed. I boosted back and forth, shooting as many of them as I could.

I smiled. It felt so good to finally be myself again.

* * *

The next hour dissolved in a whirlwind of bullets and boosting. By the time I was done, I was starving. As I was about to leave, I noticed Reaper's discarded guns, still on the ground where he left them. An insane idea flashed through my mind.

Looking around, I saw no security cameras in sight. I approached Reaper's shotguns and found the pair that still had ammo in them. I unloaded the shells, four in total to be exact, and hid them under my chronal accelerator. As long as I don't get caught, they'll definitely come in handy later. Sadly, I couldn't bring the guns themselves with me since they were too big to conceal.

I remembered that Reaper left the room (no, _floated_ out of the room as a _pool of smoke_ ) without triggering any alarms. "They must have only tagged the blasters," I muttered to myself. "Better to be safe than sorry though."

I walked near the entrance and tossed one of Reaper's guns to the door. No alarms sounded.

I opened the door, making sure the coast was clear, and kicked it outside. Silence.

Convinced that my hidden ammo would go undetected, I placed the gun back with the others. Softly humming to myself, I skipped all the way back to my dorm from the way I came.

 _Reaper might be menacing, and he might be really serious when it comes to life_ , I thought, _but he's also really busy. He can be so forgetful when he's preoccupied… Just like his old self_.

I smiled. _Maybe, just maybe, I can bring him back._

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed. If you like / dislike something, let me know! I don't mind criticism, as long as it's constructive :D**

 **Cheers! Tracer is finally becoming less OOC (out of character) after this chapter. I've put her through so much in the first few chapters, and she almost broke at certain points. Her struggles have ended (for now), and it's time to give her a little break next chapter ;)**

 **(Widowtracer will return!) I'm really excited to see how all of you react to the next chapter :D**

 **Thanks to Lacila, TheCrystalBloodWolf, MorphZz, Potato Chibs, and two guests for their reviews! You guys rock!**

 **Until next time!**


	7. A Rare Opportunity

I peeked into my room; Widowmaker was nowhere to be seen. I checked under the beds and even in the wardrobe just to make sure. Nope, nothing.

Grinning, I stole a pair of her socks and slipped two shotgun shells in each of them. I tied them together and hid them in the back of the bottom drawer of the wardrobe. I slid the drawer shut and jumped on my bed. I sat upright, meditating and patiently waiting for my roommate to return.

Thankfully, I didn't have to wait for long.

"Bonjour, cherie," she called from the door. "Time to go." I happily obliged.

* * *

The food was bland. Like, _seriously_ bland. If it wasn't for how ravenous I was after training, I probably couldn't have swallowed more than a few bites.

Widowmaker sat across from me, expressing no distaste for the food in front of her. I tried several times to initiate a conversation, but she always just stopped talking after a few exchanges. I gave up, and we finished our meals in silence.

We returned our empty trays, and I asked her one final question. "What are we doing this afternoon?"

" _I'll_ be preparing for tomorrow's mission. _You_ can do whatever you want." She walked off, clearly not in the mood to keep talking. _What's up with her today?_ I wondered.

Oh well. Time to check this place out.

* * *

I wandered the interconnected hallways, daringly sticking my head into rooms and sometimes getting shooed out. I familiarized myself with the complex, noting the locations of major facilities.

The day passed in a blur.

After dinner, I yawned. Remembering that I had slept late last night and awoken early, I didn't even bother waiting for Widowmaker. I slumped on my bed, falling asleep before my head even hit the pillow.

It was a dreamless night.

* * *

I awoke, finding myself in an awkward position. My face was inches from the wall, and one of my legs dangled off the bed. My blanket was aligned sideways and failed to cover me entirely, and I felt an aching in my right side that must have been caused from the cold.

Despite this, I was feeling energetic after a good night's rest; I must have gotten a solid eight hours of sleep at least, or else I wouldn't feel this refreshed.

(Or maybe it was because I only got four hours of sleep yesterday. Oh, and I guess I had been sleeping in a damaged jet in a cold tundra for three nights before that.)

Just as I was about to move and get up, I heard a sound behind me. I immediately closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep.

I felt a light, tentative poke on my back. I didn't move.

I was poked again, twice, and slightly harder this time. Amused, I pretended to groan a little, as if I was asleep and didn't want to get up.

"Merde. Wake up Tracer," a feminine voice muttered. She continued to poke me with increasing… confidence? Annoyance? I couldn't tell. Anyhow, I ignored her and continued my act, even snoring a bit to top it off.

I laughed internally. _What a great way to mess with someone_ , I thought.

The poking stopped. After a brief pause, I risked peeking over my shoulder. Widowmaker had her back turned towards me and was organizing her clothes on her bed. She was already dressed in her regular outfit and seemed prepared to set off on our mission today.

I suddenly realized that I had took a pair of her socks earlier. I had to distract her before she noticed they were gone!

"Good morning, luv!" I shouted into her ear, moments before jumping on her. Her face turned right before I made contact, and I was delighted to see her expression of shock. I smiled. She was emotionless, maybe, but definitely not prepared for everything.

We crashed down with a loud _thud_ on her bed. Some of her neatly-folded clothes were strewn to the side and on the floor. I felt her cool body press against mine for a moment, before she shoved me off her.

I landed on my own bed; a cheeky grin spread wide across my face. My plan had worked. _Perfectly_.

Sitting upright, she roared, "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Recalling how she woke me up with a rifle two days ago, I playfully responded, "You finally decided to touch me, so I returned the favor."

I reveled in the look painted on Widowmaker's face. She was _furious._

"Oh you know _nothing_ about touching someone." She was on me in an instant, pinning me with an armbar while glaring at me with her amber eyes. I tried to escape her iron grip to no avail.

Before I could respond, Reaper barged into the room. Widowmaker stood up just as fast as she pinned me. She straightened herself and looked slightly downwards. She seemed to be anticipating admonishment from Reaper, but it never came.

As if nothing had happened, he looked at me and said, "Tracer. You have your first mission together today. Prepare yourself and report to the third floor of the East Wing in fifteen minutes for debriefing." He turned. "Widowmaker, we have five new recruits. Meet them in the lounge and give them welcome training." We both nodded our understanding. He abruptly turned around and left.

Eyes narrowed, Widowmaker grabbed me by my collar and whispered, "Don't you _dare_ set me up like that again. Next time, you won't be so lucky."

 _Set her up?_ I nervously chuckled. "Woah, calm down, luv. It's not like you can _feel_ embarrassment or anything."

She mumbled a few obscene curses and released me. She left without another word, not even bothering to fix the mess of clothes on her bed that I had caused.

I contemplated all that had transpired for a few moments. _Sigh. Such a party-pooper._

Time to get moving. Again.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading; hope you enjoyed. Let me know what you think of this chapter, and stay tuned for more!**

 **Thanks to everyone for reviewing! I love hearing feedback (good or bad). Cheers! :D**

Translations

Bonjour: hello

Chérie: sweetheart, dear

Merde: sh*t


	8. An Inevitable Breakdown

**(IMPORTANT) A/N: A few months ago, Blizzard made an animated short called "Alive". This chapter and the next one are based on the events of "Alive"** _ **in the context of this story**_ **. Several parts will be changed to fit the plot. Expect less action and more dialogue.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

I changed into a yellow jumpsuit.

" _You have to look like your normal self."_

I traced my fingertips over the same pair of blasters I had used earlier in training.

" _You may use them only for self-defense."_

I rubbed my neck, sore from a newly-attached implant.

" _We will be monitoring you the whole time."_

Reaper's debriefing had left me in a daze. He had explained so many different elements, scenarios, and (of course) punishments for me if I stepped out of line.

" _Gather information... Note key qualities... Scout the area... Never leave the crowd… Follow him afterwards."_

I closed my eyes.

 _"You have three days."_

I sighed.

" _Tekhartha Mondatta."_

Where have I heard that before?

* * *

A Talon agent flew me to London. I felt so glad to be on familiar territory. Reaching the city by dusk, I was escorted to the square where Mondatta would be making his speech.

A crowd was already gathering. I slipped in amongst the group of humans and omnics, hoping to get a better vantage point of the podium. I heard a little girl shout my name in recognition, and I smiled.

One of Mondatta's bodyguards gestured for him to approach the podium. As Mondatta came into open view, I gasped with realization. Nine pips were arranged in a diamond shape on his forehead, illuminating it. He wore a robe, making him resemble a Buddhist monk.

 _Zenyatta_.

 _They must have been from the same monastery_ , I thought. I didn't have time to continue pondering their relationship, as my thoughts were cut short by Mondatta's voice.

"Human. Machine," he began. "We are one in the eye of the Iris."

The crowd cheered. I noticed that several adherents were carrying signs advocating equal rights for humans and omnics. _London always had a discrimination problem toward omnics,_ I recalled.

"We omnics are not mere robots. When our race was founded, we vowed to _never_ 'store' ourselves on backup devices. We are irreplaceable, just like humans." Murmurs of agreement ran through the crowd.

"We omnics have thoughts and feelings." He tapped the side of his head and put a hand on his chest. "There are located here, and here. Not on some remote cloud device."

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Mondatta's bodyguard looked flustered, holding his earpiece firmly with his hand.

I looked behind me. There were guards patrolling on the dark rooftops of nearby buildings. Gut instinct told me something was amiss. I squeezed my way out of the crowd, scanning the roofs for any signs of abnormality as I went.

* * *

I used a building's fire exit staircase to get up. Making sure to stay hidden from guards just in case they mistook me for an assassin, I jumped from one rooftop to another.

I noticed several unconscious guards lying still at regular intervals. _Bloody hell._ With one hand near my booster holder, I was ready to (quoting Reaper) "defend myself" if need be.

Suddenly, I heard the unwinding sound of string. Turning around to the source of the noise, I leaped to an adjacent rooftop. Arriving at the far end, I saw string as thin as a hair attached to a pipe. It dangled over the edge of the roof.

I looked down, only to see a dark figure hanging upside down by the string. A sniper rifle was aimed in the direction of the crowd of people Mondatta was still talking to.

 _Not so fast,_ I thought. _I'm not going to let some petty assassin ruin my recon mission._ Grinning, I cut the rope and ducked backwards for cover.

I heard a shriek and the metallic sound of a grappling hook. I cried out in shock when it latched on to the roof just inches from my hand.

The dark figure pulled itself up and jumped on me. It pinned me to the ground and aimed a rifle at my forehead. Illuminated by the gloom of the moonlight, the figure's face was a strange shade of blue. I didn't see two eyes staring at me; I saw eight. Panicking, I struggled to free myself, surprised that I met little resistance.

"What?" the figure asked, lowering the rifle and standing up. Taking off the spooky mask, the figure revealed itself.

My jaw dropped wide open. "Widowmaker?"

"Tracer?"

"What are you doing here?" we both asked. My heart was still pounding like crazy, and my mind was swimming with questions.

Straightening myself and standing up, I considered whether I should tell her the truth. She interrupted my thoughts, asking, "Reaper told me you were on a supplies mission in Mexico!" She narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

I couldn't tell what she was up to, or whether she was lying. "Wait a moment. Weren't _you_ training new recruits when I left for debriefing?"

"I did train them. Then I got sent on a mission here. Now _answer my question_."

I sighed. _Probably better to tell her the truth_ , I thought. _She could probably detect if I'm lying anyway._

"Reaper sent me here. He told me to blend in with the crowd and observe Mondatta." I lowered my eyes, well aware that she was scanning my face for any signs that would betray me.

We both heard approaching footsteps. Widowmaker grabbed me and jumped off the building.

* * *

It took all my effort not to scream, knowing that it would give our position away. We plummeted towards the ground, and I clung to her for dear life.

She grappled a balcony railing, swinging us in a wide arc around the corner of the building. We landed in soft dumpster.

I looked up. "Were you trying to assassinate him?"

She looked at me as if I was stupid. "What do you think..."

I pressed on. "Why?"

"You ask too many questions, Tracer."

"I answered your question earlier, so why can't you answer mine?"

"I owe you nothing."

She got up, preparing to set off again. I grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Why do you want to kill him?"

Annoyed, she replied, "It's not me who wants him dead; it's Talon. I'm just carrying out orders."

"No. I won't let you kill him."

"You can't stop me."

I looked down. "Please, Widowmaker, don't make this difficult for me. If you assassinate him, I can't complete my mission."

"What mission?"

"My recon mission, remember? I'm sure Talon wants me either tortured or completely under their control, or both. If you kill Mondatta, then I will have failed my mission, and Reaper would have the justification he needs to punish me." I gulped. "That's probably also why he deceived you of my whereabouts."

Silence. Widowmaker furrowed her brows, contemplating the situation.

Slowly choosing the right words, she replied, "If I don't kill him… then I will have failed my mission. And I have _never_ failed before."

The gravity of the situation hit me like a ton of bricks.

Slumping to the floor, I started uncontrollably crying. Reaper had set this all up. God, how I hated him.

Deep down, I knew that there was no way that Widowmaker would tarnish her career to help me. I had nowhere to go, no one to contact. My dilemma was a one-way route to Talon, to torture and a depressing life. I could become emotionless like Widowmaker, or worse.

I closed my eyes, tears flowing freely from my eyes. _Why? Why did I have to join the Air Force? Why did I have to ask Talon for help? Why did the U.N. have to disband Overwatch? Why didn't I just_ die _earlier_ _in the tundra? Why?_

Everything was so good back then. Everything was _perfect_. There was no suffering, no war, no hate. Now, they've all come back. Tenfold.

I felt Widowmaker embrace me. Shocked, I looked up, still sniffling.

"I might not be able to understand your emotions and your suffering, Chérie, but I do understand one thing. Reaper set us up."

I could only nod, sobs still racking my body.

"I might be a trained assassin, but I hate being taken advantage of."

"Hypocrite," I commented. She ignored my comment, and tried her best to soothe me. I chuckled; Widowmaker was just so awkward.

* * *

Eventually, I stopped crying. I looked up and stared into her eyes. "Thank you," I whispered. "You really stepped out of your comfort zone to… comfort me."

She stood up. "It was the best possible course of action I could take. Mondatta will soon finish his speech, and we need all the time we can get."

 _Yep. Still so rational, so calculating._ "Why didn't you just leave me here and complete your mission?" I questioned.

She paused. Then came the reply, "Abandoning a new recruit is against Talon protocol." I could almost swear that she was hiding something, but she didn't show it.

"Well… what do we do now?" I could hear that Mondatta was still making his speech, but we were quickly running out of time.

"I don't know."

An idea flashed through my mind. I smiled.

"Give me your phone."

"Why?"

"I need to call someone. He can help us."

"Who?"

"Zenyatta."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading; hope you enjoyed.**

 **Special thanks to SergeantLawson for correcting my French! Until next time everyone :)**

Translations

Chérie: sweetheart, dear


	9. An Unforeseen Setback

There was only one problem.

Zenyatta was somewhere in Nepal. I had called him three times; he was unreachable.

I had already explained to Widowmaker the entirety of my plan. She seemed perplexed, and told me that it was never going to work.

"Just trust me, okay? This is the only way we can save both of us." I prayed that she wouldn't change her mind. She could easily just leave me to my fate at the hands of Reaper. Frankly, I still didn't know why she was doing this.

"Our time is limited, Tracer."

"Reaper gave me three days to follow Mondatta. Today is only the first," I assured her. "Now, I need you to put your stealth skills to the test. Help me track Mondatta."

"What about you?"

"I'll stick with you, but I have to contact an old… friend. He'll help me find Zenyatta."

* * *

Widowmaker's phone was one of those old flip phones. _Of course,_ I thought. _Why would she need the entertainment that a smartphone provides?_

I dialed a familiar number I must've called a thousand times before.

 _Beep. Beep. Click._ "Hello?"

"Winston?"

"Lena! Where are you? What are you doing?" he asked, frantic. "I've been worried sick about you for days now!"

"I'm so sorry, big guy. I'll explain everything later," I replied. "I'm in a really big hurry right now."

I heard a sigh on the other end. "Then you'll have a _lot_ of explaining to do later. Now what do you need?"

"I need a direct line of communication with Zenyatta. Also, if you can somehow physically get him here within the next two days, then that would be fantastic."

A pause. Then, "I'll see what I can do." _Click_.

I slowly put down the phone. _Winston had Athena, right?_ I assured myself. _He could do anything in a matter of minutes._

There was nothing left to do now but wait.

* * *

Widowmaker motioned for me to follow. For the past hour, we've been running from rooftop to rooftop, following Mondatta's escort. With her grappling hook and my boosting, we didn't have any issues keeping up with Mondatta.

Mondatta's car paused at a red light, and we paused as well. Suddenly, Widowmaker's phone rang, startling me. I looked at the screen; Winston had called me back.

"Yes, Winston?"

"I've reached an Indian architect named Satya Vaswani who works for the Vishkar Corporation. She calls herself… Symmetra," Winston explained. "Symmetra has the ability to create portals, and she's willing to help us teleport Zenyatta… for a price."

Mondatta started moving again, and so did we. I had no choice but to keep up with Widowmaker while continuing to converse with Winston. "What price?"

"She wants to join Overwatch."

"What? Why?"

"I'm not sure. Athena speculated that Symmetra's company wants her to advance their corporate agenda and interests."

"But Overwatch was disbanded!"

Winston sighed heavily. "I didn't want to tell you this, but… I made a Recall. Overwatch is coming back, and with more new heroes than ever."

My jaw dropped. Out of all people, _Winston_ was the first to disobey U.N. protocol? "What? When?"

"Several Talon agents and Reaper infiltrated my lab a few days ago, when you were still unreachable. I managed to fend them off, and afterwards, I decided to relaunch Overwatch. I've had enough of being helpless against the evil forces around us, of constantly living in the dark."

I paused to contemplate his lengthy explanation. "Okay, luv. I hope it'll work."

"Mark my words. It _will_ work."

I smiled. Good old Winston. "Alright, I believe in you. In us." I suddenly remembered. "Wait, so you told me about Symmetra. What about Zenyatta?"

His voice dropped in excitement level. "I can't reach him. He was last sighted in a Nepalese village… five months ago."

"Oh bollocks. Then there's only one person who can help us find Zenyatta."

"Who?"

"His only pupil. Genji."

* * *

My simple plan was becoming far too complicated. Zenyatta was on some spiritual journey in the wilderness of Nepal. Genji had given Winston a dozen possible locations of his master and nothing more. Symm… who? was… building a portal? I don't even know.

Mondatta had arrived at a hotel to rest for the night. Widowmaker and I stayed on the roof, making sure that Mondatta wouldn't change locations.

I looked beside me. Widowmaker took out two pills from a small container. She swallowed them whole without water.

"What was that?"

"Medicine," she answered vaguely.

"For what?"

"None of your business." _Nope… she was helpless_.

Shaking my head, I told her, "Nevermind. We should find a place to stay for the night. Preferably somewhere nearby."

"I'll take care of it."

* * *

I haven't rested so well in days. The soft hotel bed padded my back nicely. Dreams drifted in and out of existence.

Suddenly, a piercing gunshot and the sound of shattering glass woke me. I sat up; Widowmaker's bed was empty.

"Oh no, no no no no no NO!" Fearing the worst, I rushed to the balcony that faced the hotel Mondatta was staying. One of its windows had been penetrated by a bullet, making a circular cracked pattern around a small hole.

I was paralyzed. My life was on the line earlier. Now, I've dropped into the burning pit of fire below. Thanks to Reaper. To Widowmaker. To Talon.

I didn't even cry this time. Slumping to the stone-cold floor, I couldn't even feel its numbness over the detachment I was already experiencing.

My life was _ruined_.

Widowmaker. _Oh you are so going to pay,_ I vowed. _I_ never _go down without a fight._

I leaped up, boosting vertically up the wall to the roof. I saw Widowmaker stowing her sniper rifle at the far corner of the rooftop. Furious, I dashed over and felt a solid kick connect with her stomach. I knocked her clean off the roof of the building.

She had dropped her weapon. I stomped on it, hoping to snap it in half.

I didn't even make a dent, which outraged me even more. Widowmaker had grappled her way back onto the building, and wrenched the firearm out of my hands before I could throw it off the roof. I tried to kick her again, but she dodged.

She sidestepped another one of my blows, maneuvering behind me and trapping me in a headlock before I could boost away. I blinked back in time and ended up landing a kick exactly like my first. _Sweet._

She didn't fall off the roof this time, instead picking up her gun from by her feet and opening fire on me. I quickly boosted to avoid her shots and came up from behind her. I knocked her feet out from under her, causing her to lose her balance and tumble forward.

Widowmaker dragged me down with her, however, and threw me even further away. I crashed on the hard concrete on my back, with the wind knocked out of my lungs.

Before I could recover or blink back again, I heard the shattering sound of glass. I turned my head to the direction of the noise; a strange, purple smoke enveloped me before I could react.

Coughing and wheezing, I struggled to stand up, but failed miserably. My head became groggy, and I felt nauseated.

"Rester en bas!" I heard Widowmaker's piercing command. "I will shoot you if you attempt to resist."

Trying to resist was the last thing on my mind. I couldn't even formulate a proper last thought before I collapsed and blacked out.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Feel free to leave a review letting me know what you think about the story thus far!**

 **Also, I was really busy for the past few days, so I didn't have time to proofread for errors. Let me know if you spot any spelling / other mistakes. Thanks!**

 **Until next time :D**

Translations

Rester en bas: stay down


	10. A Shocking Realization

I woke up in the pitch-black rear of a truck. I had no idea how much time I had spent knocked out.

My mouth was gagged with a vile rag, and my arms and legs were bound together with heavy-duty duct tape. Looking at my surroundings, I saw nothing that could potentially help me escape.

"Oh. You've awaken." I turned. Widowmaker's had entered the small space with a smirk.

I could only furrow my brows in frustration as she continued. "Did you _really_ think I would forget who I am or who you are? Were you really so naïve to think that I would _help you_?"

She circled around me once, pausing right in front of me. "I'm sorry if you've forgotten, chérie, but I work for Talon, and Talon alone." She laughed. "Why would I ever listen to some British… nobody?"

She took off my gag. I panted heavily and tried to spit in her face. She dodged, and asked, "Any last words, before I take you to Reaper?"

I resisted insulting her. Instead, I tried to look defeated, switching to a (hopefully) reassuring voice. "Widowmaker… Please don't let Talon control you. You're just another one of their pawns, one of their puppets. Once you've served your use, luv, they'll ditch you faster than you ditched me."

She smirked, unfazed. I continued, "I'm not sure what that medicine you took earlier was, nor what it does to you, but it certainly changes who you are. Maybe it makes you forget your past, your previous suffering. Maybe it changes your state of mind, making you calmer. Maybe it suppresses your emotions, allowing you to be the successful assassin you are. And maybe it does all of those. But it can never change who you are, Widowmaker."

I paused, searching for the right words. "I think I saw a facet of your… true self yesterday. You… you listened to me. You agreed that killing Mondatta was not the best outcome of the situation we were in. You were probably the first one to intently, actively listen to me in… in months." _Other than Winston,_ I thought. "And I am thankful for that."

"You might be wondering why I'm not angry at you, even though you effectively ruined my life. In fact, I'm forgiving you, and I can't find it in myself to do otherwise. I _know_ the predicament you are in, luv. I _know_ what's it's like to be controlled and manipulated. I _know_ how it feels to be a powerless puppet." I sighed, my voice dropping to a whisper. "I've been through all of that when the U.N. disbanded Overwatch. You used to be with us, before Talon wrenched your life away from you."

I saw a single tear roll down her cheek. I pressed on, "Widowmaker. Trust me, I would never mean any harm to you. I want the best outcome for all of us, and that outcome is not with Reaper nor Talon. Now… I just have one question. Are you with me?"

Her facial features were contorted; she seemed conflicted and on the verge of a breakdown. I gazed at her intently, studying the process she was experiencing.

Suddenly, she steeled herself. Looking directly at me, she muttered a simple, "No."

"But _why_?"

She didn't say another word. She replaced the gag in my mouth, leaving me alone once more on the cold metallic floor.

* * *

An eternity could have passed. Or a couple minutes. I remained still, trying to conserve energy lest I needed it later. Bloody hell the floor was so cold.

A loud crash scared the living daylights out of me. A flash of white armor was accompanied by a sliver of sunlight.

 _Winston!_ I mentally screamed. _Oh thank the high heavens._

He used his bare hands to rip the side of the truck apart, causing it to swerve and come to a halting stop. He slammed the side of his body to the right, creating a hole just big enough for him to reach in with both arms.

"Come on, Lena. Let's get you out of here." He grabbed me with his firm arms, shielding me from gunfire.

We were being chased by Talon agents. Winston took out a small device and threw it down, spawning a massive dome shield that surrounded us. It knocked away the Talon soldiers who had been firing at us earlier.

I laughed after he ungagged me; it was something I had never seen him do before. _He must have been busy with his inventions while I was gone_ , I mused.

"Thank you Winston."

"Leave the talking to later. We have to get out here first." As if on cue, the bullet of a sniper rifle cracked the dome. I made eye contact with Widowmaker for a fraction of a second before Winston leaped out of harm's way. She didn't seem prepared to chase us.

He ducked into a narrow alleyway. Making sure that we weren't being chased, he put me down. I tried to stand up, but realized that my body was still in a weak, limp state. And bound with duct tape. I saw a familiar omnic face and a foreign one belonging to an Indian woman emerge from the shadows. Zenyatta was dressed in his classic monk attire, while the Indian woman sported a blue traditional dress. One of her arms was a bionic prosthetic.

"Experience tranquility." I felt a wave of calm wash over me, removing the sores on my cramped limbs. The woman cut off the duct tape binding my limbs.

"Follow me," she said. "The portal is not far away."

* * *

I found myself in a room that looked like a clinical lab. Random gadgets and devices were littered across the countertops on one side of the room. A few half-built portals were on the floor on the other side. On one of the walls, a huge sign was hung with the words "Vishkar Corporation" in blue neon letters.

The Indian woman promptly shut off the portal; its blue aura faded. "That was quite the rescue," I exclaimed, feeling glad to be with friendly faces again. Zenyatta hummed a low sound of amusement. Turning to the woman, I politely remarked, "Sorry, I forgot your name. Who are you again?"

She laughed. "Call me Symmetra. It is an honor to meet you, Tracer. I've heard a lot about the good deeds you've done for Overwatch."

"Nice to meet you too." I turned to face Zenyatta, unsure of what to say.

He spoke before I could gather my thoughts. "Don't worry, Lena. I know what happened to Mondatta." He made a noise I could only imagine was a sigh. "He used to be like a brother to me. Then… complications happened, and I vowed never to have anything to do with him or his… cult ever again."

"But surely they need a new leader!"

"Yes, Lena. But that leader is not me." All of us became quiet for a moment.

Winston spoke up. "As I told you earlier, Lena, I made a Recall. It is up to us to locate and gather each and every one of the heroes for the new Overwatch. Talon will be trying to stop us every step along the way, and his first target would be you."

I nodded my understanding. He continued, "We need to make our way to our old Overwatch base in Gibraltar as soon as possible."

"Oh no. I can't," I realized. "Reaper made me implanted with a tracking device."

Winston's eyebrows rose. "Where?"

I tapped the back of my neck.

* * *

After intensive scanning and the help of Zenyatta and Symmetra, Winston took off his glasses. He rubbed his face and sighed.

"Lena… it's not just a tracking device. It released a horde of nanobots in your bloodstream."

I gasped. He continued, "We have no idea what they do just yet, other than monitoring you and your bodily processes." He didn't mention the worst-case scenario, but I had already guessed.

I could be a walking Talon time-bomb. How ironic.

"Is there anyone who could remove them?"

"Yes," Winston replied. "Just one person. Mercy."

* * *

I watched intently while Symmetra set up another portal. Winston had given her a set of coordinates directly to the Swiss doctor's house.

"The thing about portals," Symmetra began, "is that you have to get the height right. Otherwise, the portal could end up in a table. Or stuck halfway through the floor."

I laughed. "That makes sense, luv."

She smiled. "Time to test this thing out." She put on a helmet with a visor, ran a few final tests, and disappeared in a swirl of blue.

A few minutes later, she reemerged. "It works."

Winston nodded, and entered the portal. Zenyatta and Symmetra followed, with me bringing up the rear. The teleportation was instantaneous, just like the first time I was transported. I found myself in the cozy living room of a cottage. I looked outside; the sky was dark gray and scattered with faint stars.

"She must be asleep," I whispered. "Let's not scare her."

Symmetra laughed. "I would freak out too, if a gorilla and an omnic monk suddenly appeared in my living room."

"We are no strangers to Mercy," Winston said. "But Symmetra does have a point."

"I'll go in alone," I volunteered. "I know her the best, second to Winston, and he can't fit through the door." The other three nodded.

Zenyatta threw me an orb of harmony. "Just in case," he said.

* * *

I slowly climbed the spiral staircase. Several portraits of what I guessed were Mercy's ancestors lined the wall. Tiptoeing my way down the hall to her room, I put an ear to the keyhole. Hearing nothing, I placed a hand on the doorknob and slowly turned it open. It wasn't locked.

She was sleeping soundly on her bed. I sighed, not feeling confident enough to wake her up. Closing the door behind me, I approached her bed. "Angela," I softly whispered. "Angela, wake up."

No response. I delicately placed a hand on her arm, shaking her slightly. "Wake up, luv. This is kind of urgent."

A single eye fluttered open, staring at me. In a flash, she jumped up and retreated to the other side of the bed, fumbling with a pistol that she retrieved from her drawer.

I put up my hands. "Angela! Calm down, it's me."

She paused. "Lena? What are you doing here?"

"I came with Winston and Zenyatta." _I'll introduce her to Symmetra later,_ I thought. "We… we need your help."

She sighed, putting down her gun. "I know Winston made a Recall, but I wasn't ready yet to… to reenter the life of being part of Overwatch."

"I understand, Angela. But we need you more than ever now. _I_ need you."

She looked up. "Why? What happened?"

My head drooped in defeat. "I was… captured, by Talon." I didn't bear to give her the whole story. "Reaper imbued my bloodstream with nanobots. Winston told me you are the only person who has the ability to remove them." I looked up, hopeful.

"Lena I… A few years ago I could have done it, with the help of my staff. I'm sorry, but now…" She paused, visibly at a loss for words.

"What? What do you mean?"

"I can't help you."

* * *

 **A/N: Apologies for the delay; I was busy this weekend. Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks to Deo GRI, ShugoYuuki123, and ForGG for reviewing on the last two chapters! Until next time everyone :D**


	11. A Stealthy Borrowing

**A/N: Sorry for the delay! Here's a slightly longer chapter to compensate. Enjoy :D**

* * *

I was getting frustrated. "I don't understand! Why can't you help me?"

Mercy sighed. "It's complicated, Lena. For one, I don't have my staff with me. It was confiscated by the U.N. under the Petras Act, along with other special Overwatch gear such as Reinhardt's hammer."

"And suppose we were to steal it back?"

"Even assuming that both the staff and my healing skills are in perfect condition… I'm not sure if it will work as intended."

"What do you mean?"

"The staff can heal human and robot flesh alike. But with nanobots, I don't know what will happen, if anything at all."

I paused, contemplating the situation. "Well, it's worth a try. Regardless, let's not keep the others waiting."

Mercy nodded. "You go first. I need to change." Realizing that she was still in her pajamas, I laughed.

* * *

I explained the status quo to my three comrades. Winston and Zenyatta listened intently, while Symmetra seemed amused and slightly bored by the situation.

"So that's that," I concluded. "What should we do?"

Zenyatta spoke up. "We need to maintain peace with the U.N. They probably already know we made a Recall, and we can't make ourselves seem like another group of vigilantes again."

"We don't have to fight them to obtain the staff," Winston pointed out. "All we need is stealth."

"I say we build a teleporter, grab the staff, and come back," Symmetra offered. "Easy, simple, and clean."

"No," I replied. "In theory, that would work, but we have no idea where the U.N. is storing the staff."

Mercy voice interjected, "I know where it is." We all turned to look in her direction as she descended the staircase, clad in her combat armor and heels. "And it's not going to be easy to retrieve it."

* * *

Immediately after Winston introduced Mercy and Symmetra to each other, Symmetra grinned and asked her, "Why the wings and halo?"

"So I can fly and pretend to be an angel," came the sarcastic reply.

We arrived back at the Vishkar Corporation. Symmetra immediately began working on setting up a portal. Mercy and Zenyatta began discussing the healing properties of her staff.

I took the opportunity to talk to Winston. "Hey, luv. How have the past few days been? How is the Recall going?"

"It's been a tedious process, for sure. Most of the old members have agreed to return, and we have some new recruits as well. Like I said earlier, the problem is, virtually no one is coming on their own. They likely feel that it is too dangerous to travel alone, and it is up to us to find and escort them."

I nodded. "What about Zenyatta? How did you find him?"

"Genji initially gave me a few different pointers. I used Athena's satellite tracking system to eliminate them one by one until I could pinpoint Zenyatta's location."

"I see. What about -"

I was cut off by a loud call from Symmetra. "Portal's ready!"

I turned my head. "Wow, that was quick." She must have reused and redirected the portal we took earlier to Mercy's house. "Where are we going again?"

"Vienna, Austria," Winston replied. "One of the four main headquarters of the United Nations."

* * *

Unbelievable. I had imagined that the staff would be locked up in a warehouse somewhere, or perhaps an armory. I imagined it to be heavily guarded.

Never would I have thought that it was on display as an artifact in a small glass case. I was still doubting the image of the staff that Mercy showed us earlier.

Fortunately, it was still nighttime. We were huddled in a small alleyway half a block away from the main entrance of the U.N. building. The complex was locked and seemingly devoid of guards.

"Wait, so what's the issue here?" I asked. "Why is the staff so hard to get?"

"Ever since the Petras Act, all U.N. buildings have adopted maximum security systems," Mercy replied.

Winston added, "There might not be any security guards patrolling the building, but the interior is definitely covered with infrared sensors, motion detectors, security cameras… You name it."

I got the memo. "That means the more of us go… the more likely we are going to get caught."

"Precisely."

Mercy nodded, and continued, "The staff itself is locked in a glass case. I assume that it's aligned with sensors to detect breaches, so we need a safer way than just breaking the case open."

I turned to Symmetra. "Perhaps we can warp it out?" I asked.

"No. I do not have the ability to build a portal small enough to fit into the glass case."

"Then what do we do?" I threw up my hands in defeat. "I'm certainly out of ideas."

"Stay calm, Lena," Zenyatta said. "I have an idea. This is what we should do…"

* * *

"Down the left corridor, past Meeting Room C, across from the fountain with a mermaid statue on it," I recited. "Down the left corridor, past Meeting Room C, across from the fountain with a mermaid statue on it."

"Can you please be quiet for just a moment?" Symmetra asked.

"Hey, I don't want to forget Mercy's instructions," I replied.

"Whisper then! I'm trying to focus on not getting us caught."

Zenyatta had made quick work of the lock on a side window. I never knew he was so good at lock picking.

We had left Winston, Mercy, and Zenyatta behind after concluding that it was not necessary to send more than two people. Symmetra had a visor that allowed her to scan our surroundings and detect sensors, and I could help us quickly escape if anything went wrong.

The lobby was gloomy at best, only slightly illuminated by moonlight coming from outside. I glimpsed down the hallways; they were almost pitch black. I gulped, hoping that my vision would soon adjust to the darkness.

"There doesn't seem to be any infrared sensors in this area," Symmetra noted. "Probably because of random rats and whatnot."

Making sure the coast was clear, we made our way through the lobby and down the corridor. "Watch out. There is a security camera on the wall right outside Meeting Room C."

"I think I can just boost past it and disable it. I doubt I'll be noticed."

"Alright. There's a motion sensor at the next hallway entrance though, so don't boost too far."

"Got it." I readied my accelerator and noted the approximate distance I should be boosting. In a flash, I was on the other side of the security camera, barely in its blind spot. "No problem."

Disconnecting the only wire I found, I heard a spaz of static. I gave Symmetra the thumbs-up.

"How do we get past this motion sensor though?"

"Easy. We take a different route."

I looked around. There didn't seem to be any hallways leading to the direction we were headed. "Where?"

She had already disappeared into the meeting room.

"Hey wait up! Where are we going?"

"Any meeting room of this size would definitely have multiple doors," came the hushed reply.

"Are we even safe in here?"

"There's nothing of value here. No documents, no decorations, nothing. Why would they need sensors in here?"

"Alright. But are you sure we can get to the fountain?"

"You ask too many questions, Tracer. Just follow me."

We stuck to the back wall, avoiding security cameras aimed at the front of the room. We had walked from the left door to the middle one.

I pushed it open. Sure enough, just like the first door, this one also had a security camera right on top of it, monitoring the entrance. I removed the wire, hearing another satisfying pop of static.

"Alright. Let's take this hall. Follow me."

* * *

We found ourselves in a circular room. The fountain Mercy told us about was attached to the wall on our side. Sure enough, we found Mercy's staff enclosed in glass on the other side.

I read the inscription on the case.

 _A powerful staff once belonging to Swiss doctor Angela Ziegler, who was a core member of Overwatch. It has the potential to heal any physical wound, and even revive people from the dead. Ziegler was the only person who could access its curative powers, and she never used it for purposes outside of Overwatch. To date, the reason for this is still unknown._

Symmetra removed the case of a compartment under the staff's cage.

 _Right,_ I remembered. _This is one crazy plan_.

"Ready?" she asked, preparing to remove the glass case.

"Yeah." I clasped both of my hands on the wires in the compartment and turned to face the fountain. "Three… two… one… Go!"

I boosted forward a small distance, instantly feeling the intense pricking of electricity scorch my hands. The wires had snapped cleanly.

I barely heard Symmetra's call. "Done!" Breathing a sigh of relief, I blinked back in time. The burns I got from the shocks disappeared, and the wires reattached themselves as if nothing had happened.

She slowly placed the case upside down on the floor. "Lucky for us, there's no motion sensors," she stated, taking the staff off of its stand.

On the way out, we passed Reinhardt's hammer.

A wide grin spread across Symmetra's face. "Extra credit. Ready for round two?"

"Bloody hell. You have got to be kidding me."

* * *

Reinhardt's hammer must have weighed a thousand pounds. It took the two of us half an hour and five breaks to lug that thing back.

"I'm beginning to question whether rejoining Overwatch was the right decision," I joked, dropping the head of the hammer. I yelped as it nearly smashed my foot. "Whew, that was close!"

Winston laughed. "Don't worry, Lena." He took the hammer, easily lifting it with one hand. "I'll handle that thing from now on."

Symmetra handed the staff to Mercy, who turned it around in her hands. "Thank you, Symmetra. This brings back the memories." A faint yellow aura began glowing from the staff.

We set off again, teleporting back to Symmetra's company. Symmetra ran off, returning with an armful of medical supplies needed for my surgery.

Mercy put on a pair of gloves. "If you'll excuse us," she said to the others, "I have a patient to take care of."

Winston murmured his consent, opening the door and motioning for the others to follow.

"Zenyatta, you can stay and help me out." He nodded, orbs of harmony at his disposal. "Lena, we will start by removing the device from your neck. This will hurt a bit even after we use painkillers."

"Alright." I laughed as I took off part of my jumpsuit. "I've been electrocuted twice today, so I've really got nothing to worry about, luv."

Mercy smiled. "Lie on your stomach. Here's a towel for your mouth if you need it."

I put it in my mouth and clenched my teeth over it. It was tasteless and oddly reminded me of the rag Widowmaker gagged me with.

I felt a soft cotton ball cleanse the area around my neck; the scent of an alcoholic disinfectant reached my nose. A needle suddenly pricked my upper back, and I clenched my teeth down hard in pain.

"Alright, painkiller is in. Zenyatta, could you hand me the toolkit?"

I closed my eyes, and lied still. I took in all of the weird sensations of having my neck cut open a second time. My skin felt tingly and itchy, and it took all my resolve not to scratch the hell out of the open wound.

Pain pierced my neck. I bit down so hard into the towel I felt for sure that I bit it in half. I felt as if someone had removed a section of my spinal cord, which probably wasn't too far off from what actually happened. I mean, what else would Talon have attached the device to?

The agony immediately began subsiding. I could feel my skin stitching itself, as if an invisible needle was sewing the broken folds together. In a few moments, I felt good as new.

"Good work, Zenyatta. You can get up now, Lena."

I sat upright, running a hand over the back of my neck. The skin was as smooth as that of a newborn. I smiled, mumbling a low "thanks" to both of them.

"Now comes the hard part. The nanobots."

* * *

Mercy took several blood samples and ran a series of tests under a microscope. As she was carrying out her experiment of sorts, she conveyed every step of the process to me.

"I'm exposing some your blood samples to acidic chemicals to kill off the nanobots, then healing the blood cells with my staff," she explained. "Hmm... Not working..."

She tried again. A groan of exasperation.

Upon Mercy's command, Zenyatta tried his healing method as well. Another look under the microscope, and another look of disappointment.

Mercy quickly became frustrated, explaining that both methods ended up healing the nanobots in addition to my blood cells. She also tried combining her staff with Zenyatta's orb of harmony, but nothing seemed to work.

She sighed, momentarily taking off her doctor's mask and safety goggles. "We are facing a serious dilemma, Lena… there's no way we can kill off the bots without harming you, and if we heal you back up, then the bots will get restored as well."

Zenyatta spoke up. "There's only one way to get rid of the bots," he began. "We would have to completely kill you, alongside the bots inside you, then use Mercy's staff to revive you."

I paused to ponder the implications of what he just said.

Dying was scary, for sure, but I had faith in Angela and her skills.

"Let's do it."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Leave a review if you want; reading your feedback really encourages me! :D**

 **Thanks to ShugoYuuki123 and MorphZz for your reviews on the previous chapter! Until next time ;)**


	12. An Unfortunate Situation

It was an odd feeling.

I felt a wave of calm wash over me. My body felt as if it was acknowledging what was about to happen. I felt… light. Lighter than air. Lighter than all worldly concerns. Lighter than lightness itself, if that made sense. And somehow it did. It made perfect sense. Everything made perfect sense. I laughed to myself, unbothered by the fact that I made no sound. Yet the lack of sound was music to my ears. My ears, or the lack thereof.

I was floating. Levitating. Odd shapes drifted around me. I reached out to touch them, but I had no hands. In fact I had no limbs, no body either. But that didn't bother me.

I could see light and dark. Hues, tones, tints, shades. And colors. Oh, the colors. Golden yellow, baby blue, light pink.

I focused my vision below me. I saw a young girl, in her mid-twenties perhaps. She was dressed in a weird elastic material that stretched over her body. A bright blue light was shining out of a circular object on her chest. How odd, how eccentric.

I saw two others standing near her, working on various machines and gadgets. I laughed at how busy they seemed. How concerned they were, with worldly concerns.

One of them seemed… robot-like. Strange indeed. The other was a woman with a long object in her hands.

 _I wonder what they're doing._

* * *

I awoke with a jolt, the visions that I just had quickly fading.

I looked down, and saw a vague outline of my own body. It seemed to be made of solid gold. _Angela must have revived me. Are the bots gone?_ I wondered. The golden colors quickly faded.

My vision was hazed; I couldn't focus on anything properly. I heard a voice making noises in my ear, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. Mercy and Zenyatta were nowhere to be seen.

Loud blasts resounded in my ears. I felt strong, firm arms pick me up in a protective stance.

"Le…a…. Lena!" Sounds were becoming clearer now, and so was my vision. My limbs no longer felt as if they were trying to swim in molasses.

"Winston, what's going on?"

"Talon… Talon broke into… Vishkar," he said between breaths. "We're under… We're under chase."

"Where is everyone else?"

"We distracted them for… for as long as possible, while… you finished your operation. Now, we've… been split."

I saw a small glass cylinder land near us. Before I could alert Winston, it blew up in our faces.

I blinked back in time, but the all-too familiar purple gas was rapidly enveloping me regardless.

I took a gulp of fresh air before I was completely shrouded in the gas. I picked a random direction and tried blinking to somewhere safe. One, two, three times I tried. Three times I failed.

I was out of charges. _Bollocks_ , was the last thought I had before I blacked out.

* * *

Darkness.

I looked around and spotted a speck of light in the distance. A candle perhaps? Or maybe someone's flashlight?

I started walking towards it. Too slow. Jogging. Running. Sprinting. I was unsure why I was running so fast, but something in me urged me to leave no time to waste.

As the source of the light came into sight, I carefully approached it. It was the Overwatch symbol, levitating in midair. I tried to touch it, but my hand passed right through it as if it was a hologram.

Suddenly, I saw what was behind the symbol. I cried out, too shocked to look away.

 _No. No no no no NO NO!_

Corpses. A pile of them.

Old veterans and new recruits alike, stacked on top of each other like old hay. Familiar faces were among them.

Ana. Jack Morrison. Reinhardt. Gabriel Reyes. Even Angela.

Tears started flowing down my face. I fell to the floor, wondering what on earth could have happened to cause this.

As if on cue, Amelie Lacroix appeared at the top of the pile. Words spilled out of her mouth like hisses from a venomous snake. "You could have saved them, Lena. Now look at what you've done."

Her rosy face turned a nasty shade of blue. Her hair twisted itself in a knot, forming a long ponytail. A sniper rifle appeared in her hands, and she aimed it directly at me.

"Bonne nuit, Tracer."

I didn't even try to dodge.

* * *

I opened my eyes, only to see a plain gray ceiling staring back at me. I sat upright, rubbing my face to dispel any lingering tiredness I had.

"Where am I?" I wondered aloud.

"Talon headquarters," a distinct French voice replied.

I scanned my surroundings. A mirror occupied one wall; a large steel door made up another. A third wall actually had a television on it, and the fourth was empty. There was a small sink and toilet in one corner, and the bed I was on in the opposite corner.

I was alone.

"Where are you?" I asked. "Why am I here?"

"I am observing you, Tracer." A pause. I imagined her smirking as she crafted another response. "And you are here because you _belong_ to Talon."

Realization struck. _God I hope Winston and the others are alright,_ I thought. _Maybe they were lucky enough to avoid being captured by Talon._

As if she were reading my thoughts, Widowmaker said, "Oh, don't worry, chérie. Your big friend will keep you company here."

The television lit up, and for a moment I was surprised at how high its resolution was. I saw Winston bound to a large metallic restraint in some sort of confinement chamber. Wires lined his body at regular intervals.

I could barely make out a deep voice. "Winston! It's always fun to catch up with old friends." _Reaper_. "Would you mind telling me… Where the new Overwatch base will be?"

"I will… _never_ tell a scumbag like you!"

"Take your time to answer, Winston. I have unlimited patience."

"So do I," came the curt reply.

"Very well. Johnson!" Reaper barked. "Begin."

I heard the sound of a switch popping. I couldn't even bear to watch as the electric shocks started.

It was going to be a long and sleepless night.

* * *

 **A/N: Yes, I know it's been a long time since I last updated, and yes, I know that this chapter is slightly short. Sorry! I had writer's block plus I was busy. Hopefully in the coming days I'll be able to update more frequently.**

 **Thanks for bearing with me! Until next time :D**

Translations

Bonne nuit: Good night

Chérie: dear


End file.
